In an effort to dissolve the memories of torturous conditions at the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock, the USGA is attempting to evolve their US Open Championship philosophy. Known for their draconian approach to championship golf tournaments, the USGA will use varying rough heights at Winged Foot GC, depending on the hole and its yardage. This is an effort to distinguish bad shots from marginal shots, while awarding the well-played shot. Adjacent to the fairway will be 6 feet of intermediate cut that measure 1.5 inches in height. Extending from that will be 24 feet of primary cut at 3-4 inches, followed by the secondary cut, measuring in at 6 inches. The spectator ropes will be widened and extremely off-line shots won't be rewarded with trampled grass. This "graduated" philosophy, if successful, will also be employed at the US Women's Open at Newport CC. The USGA has not made any statements regarding the maintenance of the putting surfaces at Winged Foot.

This year, Winged Foot will play as a par 70 at 7,264, and fairways will have an average width of 25 yards. In comparison, the 2006 US Open course is about 250 yards longer than the 1997 PGA Championship set-up at Winged Foot. Davis Love III shot a 269, 15 under par, to win the tournament. With accuracy at a premium, I'm looking for a guy like David Toms or Stuart Appleby to go south of 269 and hoist the hardware. But, what about Tiger? Tiger should never be left out of the equation and the way he performs after the death of his father will definitely be one of the top stories in June.

Gourmet Golfwrx is still waiting for their Winged Foot press pass